Drama

Why study Drama?

‘I believe that theatre has to be utterly life-changing for the people watching it’ (Marianne Elliott – Theatre Director).

Drama at GCSE is a subject that is both active and creative. Lessons consist of practical work, discussion and reflective writing and you will be able to work in more depth than you have previously been able to. We follow the Eduqas syllabus, which places a strong emphasis on practical devising work – there is definitely less written work than most other subjects as you are encouraged to write succinctly. You will learn about all aspects of theatrecraft: acting, design and directing.

We explore various practitioners such as Stanislavski, Frantic Assembly, Brecht and Boal as well as specific genres such as Physical Theatre and Theatre-in-Education. You can also gain an understanding of how to use make-up, costume, set design, lighting and sound effectively and will have the option to choose one of these design areas for assessment, instead of performance.

We have many different types of pupil who opt for Drama and it is rated highly by all universities as it helps to make you confident, sensitive and a strong leader. Whether you are naturally outgoing or a quiet, thoughtful person, you can succeed in this subject as long as you bring enthusiasm, imagination, focus and a willingness to work creatively. In a nutshell, Drama is serious fun.

How is the course examined?

Non-examined Assessment

Component 1 (40%) is a devised unit in which you will create an exciting piece of new theatre in small groups, based on a practitioner or style of theatre you have studied. There is a written report about the process (which has a maximum word count of just 900 words), plus an evaluation of the performance which is written under controlled conditions.

Examination

Component 2 (20%) involves the performance of a script to an examiner in small groups/pairs.

There is no written work for this component.

Component 3 (40%) is a written examination consisting of a series of questions based on an interesting set text we will have studied practically, plus one short question analysing a theatre production you will have seen.

The examination lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes.

What does the course cover?

The syllabus reflects the practical nature of Drama and offers opportunities for devised practical performance and script work. As well as creating original Drama you will refine your understanding of play texts, and learn about sound, lighting, set and costume as ways to communicate meaning to your audience. You will also develop your appreciation of live theatre from different aspects of performance. Throughout the course, to support your analysis of live theatre, your practitioner knowledge and your understanding of design, there will be theatre trips to different styles of productions.